The United States has deployed more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to waters near Latin America and the Caribbean in a major move against drug cartels, CNN reported on Friday, citing defence officials.
The deployment includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, supported by destroyers, a guided-missile cruiser, surveillance aircraft, and a nuclear-powered attack submarine. The Navy confirmed the USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale, and USS San Antonio are part of the mission, though their exact destination was not disclosed.
Officials said the buildup gives President Donald Trump a range of options to confront cartels labelled as narco-terrorist organisations. They stressed the move is intended as a deterrent rather than a signal of imminent strikes. The reinforcement forms part of a wider military shift to the US Southern Command, underway for three weeks.
The package, which includes an aviation combat unit, expands the US operational footprint in the region. But some defence officials cautioned that Marines are not specifically trained for counter-narcotics operations and would need to rely on the US Coast Guard if tasked with interdiction missions.
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